Be Calm
by The Cliffhanger Girl
Summary: He's running, and running, and running...trying to forget; until, he feels her hand on his arm.


Hey guys...Happy Hunger Games! Just kidding lol-anyways, how'd you all like the episode? Looks like Imogeli is heading...in a different direction. I'm sorry, but Eli needs to relax a little, be friends with Clare, play video games with Adam, and get a job to buy back Morty from the junkyard. Sorry, I'm getting carried away. But have no fear, I still ship Eclare ;) Please Enjoy this little one shot I'd like to call "Be Calm"...

**Twitter:** TheCliffyG

No Beta Reader, so ignore mistakes if any :)

**Listen to the song:** Be Calm, by Fun to really get the feel of this one shot.

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><p><em><strong>Be Calm<strong>_

**ELI**

**_Run_**

**_Run _**

**_Run_**

"Keep running, keep running," my heart raced, as my throat was growing dry, and my legs were numb. But I kept going. If I stopped, I'd have to face the fact that my ex-girlfriend lied to me, that my ex-girlfriend didn't want to spend time with me, and that my ex-girlfriend just thought of me as a crazed, bipolar freak.

_So I kept running. _

"Eli."

No, no, _they're_ all trying to pull me out of my fantasy.

Whenever I'm running, everyone knows that this is the only way I don't have to pay attention to my life. When I'm running, my mind races, and it prevents me from thinking about Imogen, thinking about Clare, thinking about Julia.

Everything stops when I'm running, except my body.

"Eli."

I shook my head, and kept running, making my legs keep moving; it's the only way I can forget.

"Eli!"

I felt a hand tug on my bicep, which brought me to an unnecessary halt. My neck craned to the side, as I glared at someone who I'd suspect to be Bullfrog, or Cece, or even Imogen...but no, it was Clare.

"Clare?"

She smiled softly at me, as my tredmile came to a stop. My breathing hitched, as I leaned against the railing of my tredmile, and asked, out of breath, "W-what are you doing here? Who let you in? Better question, why are you here?"

"You cleaned this room up nice Eli, and you even saved up money for a tredmile...you did such a great job," she commented me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like someone cared. I know Imogen is trying, but she doesn't know all about me, like Clare does-did.

"Y-yeah, it took me a long time. But after we broke up, I just felt like I owed it to you to finish something right," I mumbled, as she shyly smiled, "For your information, I met up with Bullfrog after school. When I was walking home, I saw Bullfrog and he gave me a ride home. We had a nice talk, and he invited me over for dinner tonight, I hope you don't mind."

"Did he say anything about...?" I was wondering if he mentioned Imogen and I, because that was the last thing I wanted Clare to know about, "I knew about Imogen and you Eli, I'm glad you moved on. It's a good thing..."

"Right, a good thing," I scoffed, toying with my earplugs, glancing at my fingers, as Clare said, "Tell me what's on your mind Eli. I'm not here to patronize you, I'm here to be your friend."

"Adam tried talking to me a few nights ago about Imogen, but I overreacted, threw a phone at my door...broke my skull," her eyes widened, and I chuckled, "Not my actual skull Clare, the skulls hanging off my door."

I pointed to the door, and Clare nodded, "I see...well, what happened?"

"Let's just say, it turns out not taking my medication and getting over paranoid leads to pushing your girlfriend into another girls arms," I smirked, as Clare took a seat on my bed, without even asking-not that I minded, "What do you mean, another girl?"

"Imogen...well, she's _confused_," I got off the tredmile, and took a seat beside Clare, "Sorry, my legs are killing me and I know I probably smell like b.o."

"It's okay, I don't smell anything, I have a slight cold...nose is all stuffed up anyways," she smiled at me, and in that moment, I realized how much I missed hanging out with Clare. Not like a girlfriend, or a soon to be wife, but a friend. I missed her sarcastic, witty remarks towards me, and her cocky attitude she threw at me when I was too smug.

"We can go downstairs, and I can get you some cold medicine...I'm pretty sure I have nose drops in-," Clare touched my arm as I began to dig through my drawers, in search of cold medication, "It's fine Eli, it's just a stuffy nose. Let's just relax, dinner is almost ready, so we have time to kill."

"What do you want to do?" I asked, as she smiled, "Anything you want to do, how about we catch up with each other?"

I expected her to swarm me with questions about Imogen, but I smirked, when she spoke up first, "I'd really like to get you all caught up with me, it seems like we've gone down two different roads..."

"Well, there's always an opportunity to catch up," I smirked, giving her my full attention as she told me her story. I stared inter her eyes, as they would turn darker during some points of her talking, and lighter when happier times were spoken about. When Clare had reached the part of the re-telling of her life that I had missed out on, and she told me that she ended up caught in a weed house, I chuckled, "Hold up, so Clare Edwards got somewhat arrested?"

"They put the ties around my hand," she sighed, "I was so stupid, so desperate...so alone."

"You know, you always had me," I glanced down at her lips, as they tightened, "We always had each other, friends or not friends, we were always there...just, a little bit lost."

"A little?" I scoffed, "I got involved with Imogen, but she even thinks I'm crazy, and that chick is whack, but that's why I thought we'd be perfect together! I pawned my dad's guitar, and I can keep going if you like?"

She shook her head, "You're not crazy Eli, you're just...Eli."

A tear formed in my eyelids, as I smirked at her, "If you're trying to kiss ass up to the bipolar kid, it's working."

"What if I'm kissing ass to my much missed friend, Eli Goldsworthy?" she asked softly, grinning up at me, "I'm not looking for a kiss ass Clare, or for you to feel like you need to be here because Bullfrog talked you into it because he was worried about me."

"For your information Eli, _**I**_ walked up to Bullfrog, he didn't walk up to me," she stood up, as I glanced up at her, giving her my full attention, "It's like...after we broke up, and didn't talk for a while, we were still there for each other. We get each other Eli, and you might think it's crazy, but I have a proposal for you."

"I'm not stable enough for marriage," I responded sarcastically, watching Clare as she got down on one knee in front of me, and said, "Eli Goldsworthy, will you be my friend again?"

My eyebrows quirked up, the realization hitting me that Clare and I had talked for about two hours, without any interruptions. These were the best two hours of my life in a long time, and they meant so much to me, but probably so little to her. But the way she was on her knees in front of me, practically begging me to be her friend...killed me a bit inside.

"Are you that lonely that you need me?" I asked, as she sighed, "It's not because I'm lonely Eli, it's because, I think it's time we both be friends again. I miss you reading my papers in English, I miss when you reading me comics after school, and I miss playing video games together. Our friendship was so simple, so innocent."

"But I ruined that," I spat, as she complied with me, "We did get lost, but look where we are now...at square one again. We have another chance Eli, another chance to be friends."

"I missed you," I whispered, tears streaming down my face as she cupped my cheek, forcing me to look into her eyes, "We both deserve to be in each other's presence, we've been through a lot. I just...I thought I'd come here to try to remind you that I was always thinking about you Eli. Not to sound like a creep, but whenever I saw something that reminded me of you, I'd immediately think 'I wonder what Eli would do' in this situation and-."

I cut her off, "I get it Clare, you missed me."

"What do I have to do to make you believe me?" she asked, her tone filled with need, as Bullfrog shouted, "Kids! Dinner time!"

"You know what you can do for me Clare...," her blue eyes gazed into mine, "Tell me."

"Just...stay."

"This time Eli, I'm not going anywhere...not even if you beg me."

"Promise?"

"I promise Eli...and this time, I promise to keep my promise."

"Clarabelle! Eli! Dinner!" I glanced at Clare, as she opened up my door, and said, "After you, kind sir."

I shook my head, playfully pushing her to the side, while holding my door open to her, "No, after you, m'lady."

**END OF BE CALM.**

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><p><strong>Reviews? :)<strong>

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

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